Today in the Word for December 16-20
Today in The Word
Monday Dec 16, 2019
Wouldn’t it be great to get better at receiving direction from the Lord? Welcome to the word with Pastor David. Matthew 2:1-2 reads:
“…Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.””
The Magi, or Wise Men of the Christmas story believe that God has given a sign in the sky that they are attempting to interpret. It is an unusual story in that these men are not Jews and have come from an eastern land talking about stars in the sky. Yet they possess an essential characteristic of people who are good at taking direction from God. They believe that God is still in the business of giving signs. They believe that God gives direction to humans.
It may seem obvious, but you are not likely to take direction from God if you do not think that God still gives direction. In particular, you have to believe that God would give direction to you.
And so, the Magi indicate an essential first step in taking direction from the Lord. We have to believe that God gives signs today—to us. Start with this truth and we are on our way to become better at receiving direction from God.
And that’s the Christmas Word from Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in The Word
Tuesday Dec 17, 2019
What would it take to make us better at taking direction from the Lord? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Matthew 2:1-2 reads:
“…Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.””
The Magi, or Wise Men show up in the capital city of Israel from a distant country. Yet they believe that they have been given a sign about the birth of a Jewish King. How much investigation did that require on their part? They are not Jews. How many prophecies of various religions did they examine? How long did it take them to determine that God was announcing the birth of the Jewish Messiah?
A willingness to investigate after we think God has spoken to us is essential. I wonder how many times God has spoken direction to our life, and we were too busy or preoccupied with other things to take the time to give his word careful thought? We must be willing to adjust our schedule and calendar to give attention to prayer, Bible reading and worship to allow God’s direction to take root in our minds and hearts.
When we do so, we, like the Magi, will be more likely to take God’s direction and follow after what he calls us to do for the Kingdom.
And that’s the Christmas Word from David Baker of Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Wednesday Dec 18, 2019
Will we follow God’s direction in our life, even if it is inconvenient? Welcome to the word with Pastor David. The Magi came to King Herod to look for a new Jewish king. Matthew 2:7and 16 read:
“…Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared…When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi.”
These two portions of scripture lead us to believe that the star had appeared some two years prior to the Magi. The Magi, or Wise Men had then taken some time to interpret what the star meant. Then they reached a decision to travel to this new King. They had to suspend or put into the hands of others their work. They likely were separated from their families. They had to arrange for the details of travel. They may have paid a considerable sum to Ahmed’s camel Rentals!
The point is, following God’s direction to worship Jesus was likely more than a two-year venture, and terribly inconvenient. Yet that is what God was asking and that is what they did. They acted on God’s direction despite its inconvenience.
Should we do any less when God gives us direction?
And that’s the Word from Pastor David of Deer Lodge Assembly. Join our Wednesday adult Bible Study at 6:30 for more of the Word.
Today in the Word
Thursday Dec 19, 2019
Will we act when God gives us direction or not? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Yesterday we learned that the Magi left jobs and homes to take more than a 2-year trek to worship Jesus on the basis of an interpretation of the meaning of a star. Yet we read in Matthew 2:4-6 that after the Magi’s arrival in Herod’s court:
“When [Herod] had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born.
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
“‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’””
The religious leaders got the quote of the book of Micah right. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. The Magi went to see Jesus, but we have no indication that any of these religious leaders ever did. The Magi traveled across great distance over a 2-year period, yet the religious couldn’t clear their calendar for one day to walk to Bethlehem from Jerusalem.
The religious leaders believed that God could speak and knew the Old Testament better than the Magi, yet they didn’t act on what they knew and Magi did. The Magi played a part in the greatest work of God of all human history. The religious leaders missed out. The difference was in choosing to act.
Will you act on God’s direction?
And that is the Christmas Word from Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.
Today in the Word
Friday Dec 20, 2019
Are there any benefits from taking direction from the Lord? Welcome to The Word with Pastor David. Matthew 2:9-11 part of the Christmas story reads:
“… [the Magi] went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him…”
The Magi, or Wise Men believed God could speak, investigated the meaning of the star they had seen, and acted to travel over distance and time to come to the home of Mary and Jesus. And the text states they were overjoyed.
We speak at the Christmas season of joy. These Wise Men experienced joy because they followed God’s direction and got to be one of only a handful of people on the planet to honor the coming of God’s Son Jesus to Earth. I know it is obvious, but I have observed that people who follow the direction of the Lord experience more joy than those who ignore his direction. They find themselves swept up into the drama of what God is doing in the world. They get a front-row seat to God’s plans and purposes. And that generates genuine joy.
Want more joy? Follow what God tells you to do—wherever it may lead.
And that’s the Word. You can enjoy more of the Word this Sunday at 10:45 at Deer Lodge Assembly on the corner of 5th and Montana.